London Irish take advantage of weakened Exeter side
London Irish grabbed their sixth Gallagher Premiership victory of the season as they beat league leaders Exeter Chiefs 22-19 in a match where the lead changed hands seven times. The Exiles just fell short of a try bonus point with three tries, scored by hooker Matt Cornish, centre Curtis Rona and Cornish’s replacement Agustin Creevy, with fly-half Paddy Jackson adding a penalty and two conversions.
Exeter grabbed tries from lock Will Witty plus centres Ollie Devoto and Tom Hendrickson, while fly-half Harvey Skinner booted two conversions. Irish could have been well ahead before Exeter, much changed from the side which qualified for this season’s European Champions Cup final last Saturday, had made any territory in the opposition half as Chiefs errors gave Jackson long-range penalty chances.
The Exiles fly-half kicked one out of three, but the lacklustre home side were close to conceding the opening try when Cornish broke through the midfield and fed scrum-half Ben Meehan but the half-back juggled the ball and the chance was gone.
Eventually, Exeter, watched in the stands by many of the team that scored that thumping victory over French giants Toulouse last weekend, got their act together. The game suddenly became littered with tries. Witty got the first from a ruck on the Irish line where he picked up the ball and drove through the smallest of gaps to touch down.
But Irish struck back within minutes. Wing Ben Loader made the hard yards to the danger zone before Meehan fed Cornish from a quick ruck for the hooker to dive over. The lead changed hands a fourth time as Exeter pressurised their opponents after good work by Ollie Woodburn. Devoto, with his pack behind him, was driven over the line. Skinner’s extras gave Chiefs a four-point lead.
That should have been it before the break but, instead, Exeter tried attacking with the ball in hand in the Irish half but were intercepted. Rona, a full 70 metres away from the Exeter line, pinned back his ears and just about got over as Devoto tried to chase him down but ran out of legs. Jackson’s conversion put the Exiles three points ahead at the break.
Exeter got their revenge with an interception try of their own after the re-start, A pass from Irish prop Harry Elriington was seized on by Hendrickson to sprint three-quarters of the field to the line. The Exiles huffed and puffed in Exeter territory into the final quarter of the match but the home pack frustrated their opponents.
That was until 12 minutes from time when the Chiefs defence cracked with Argentine international Creevy going over from an attacking line-out and maul. Jackson’s conversion gave Irish the lead for a fourth time. The home side pushed Irish over their own line from another big maul but the mass of bodies prevented any notion of a try. It was to be Exeter’s last chance of victory as Irish kept their heads and secured the points.
Comments on RugbyPass
Good luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to comments